Device for sorting coins



June 8, 1965 H. A. RAUSING 3,187,759

DEVICE FOR SORI'ING COINS Filed Aug. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Hams Anders Rausin ATTORNEYS June 1965 H. A. RAUSING 3,

DEVICE FOR SORTING COINS I Filed Aug. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

1NVENTOR Hams Anders Ramsn3 BY wgbw agzwrm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,187,759 DEVICE FOR SORTING CQINS Hans Anders Rousing, Lund, Sweden, assignor to All Restello, Lund, Sweden, 21 joint=stocir company of Sweden Fiied Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,478 Claims priority, application Sweden, Sept. 14, 1961, 9,132/ 61 Claims. (Cl. 1333) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 222,150 filed September 7, 1962.

The present invention relates to a device for coin sorting and counting machines or similar machines where it is most important that the sorting, as well as the counting, be done with a high degree of accuracy. As it has turned out to be impossible to make an absolutely accurate sorting machine for coins, it is important where coin sorting machines are concerned to ensure accurate sorting by means of multiple sorting.

In accordance with the present invention, accurate coin sorting is achieved by a multiple sort which consists of two sorting steps in sequence. In the first sorting step, which is a coarse sort, the coins are initially sorted in accordance with coarse differences in diameter. In the second sorting step the coins allocated to each channel of the coarse sorting mechanism are further sorted so that those coins having a diameter exceeding a predetermined value pass through to one receptacle while those with a smaller diameter are dropped through an aperture at the coin diameter sizing station into a different receptacle.

The improved coin sorting device can be operated with considerable advantage in sorting coins of a particular realm from those coins of different realms and which have diameters differing only very slightly from certain coins of the home realm. Thus the device can be set up so that proper coins of the realm will be passed through ditferent channels of the coarse sorting unit and will then be passed through the second, or finer sorting unit associatcd with each channel of the coarse sorting unit without further sorting while foreign coins having a diameter only very slightly smaller than the diameter of a particular proper coin of the realm will be sorted out from the remainder of the coins in the second sorting unit.

The multiple step coin sorting device in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein FIG. '1 shows the essentials of the initial, coarse sorting unit, and,

FIG. 2 the essential details of one of the fine sorting units associated with one tubular collector of the coarse sorting unit.

With reference now to FIG. 1, a coin drum rotatable by a motor, not shown, is designated by numeral 1. This drum is provided with a series of arcuate recesses 2 through which the individual coins are transported to a coin conveyor which is constituted by a downwardly sloping rail 3. The coins 4 after leaving drum 1 roll on their edge down the rail 3 and in accordance with coarse differences in diameter are directed by deflector blades 5 into vertically arranged, parallel tubular coin collectors 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, a deflector blade 5 is provided for and above the entrance to each coin collector 6 and above rail 3, and the blades 5 are disposed at progressively decreasing distances from rail 3 as measured in the direction of the coin roll-down on the rail so that the largest diameter coin will be deflected in the rightmost collector 6 appearing on FIG. 1 While the smallest diameter coin will be deflected into the leftmost collector.

In order to facilitate cleaning of the sloping rail 3, the upper ends on of the coin collector 6 are separated from 3,137,759 Patented June 8, 1965 their lower portions and the upper ends 6a of the collectors are all fastened to spaced hinge connections 7 which enable the upper ends 6a to be easily swung outwards thereby exposing the drum for inspection and cleaning.

Thus as the coins roll down the rail 3 they will be subjected to an initial coarse sort and all coins within a certain minimum-maximum diameter range will drop by gravity into one of the vertical tubular collectors 6. Certain details of this initial coin sorter in conjunction with an improved coin counting apparatus are disclosed and claimed in a co-pending application Serial No. 222,149 as to which the present applicant is a joint inventor.

The subsequent and finer sorting unit for each coin collector :6 is shown in FIG. 2. Only 1 of the collectors 6 is shown in this view and it will be understood that a similar arrangement will be provided at the bottom, takeout end of each of the coin collectors 6. The fine sorting unit is constituted by a receiving element 8 having a plurality or parallel spaced channels 9 each of which is delined by parallel side walls 10, 10 and a floor 11. One channel 9 is provided for each coin collector tube 6 and the lower end of each tube is located in alignment with its appropriate channel and spaced above the channel floor 11 by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the coin so that the coins can be pushed in succession along the channel by means of a reciprocating feed arm 12 the leading edge 12a of which is oblique to its direction of motion in order to maintain each coin 4 against the side wall 10' of the channel.

As the coins 4 are puhed one-by-one along the channel 9 after being taken out from the lower end of collector tube 6 they reach a generally rectangularly configured slot 13 in the channel floor 11. The length of slot 13 as measured in the direction of coin feed between the ends 13a, 13b of the slot is longer than the diameter of the largest coin which passes downwardly through the correlated coin collector tube 6. However the distance between the side wall 10' of the coin channel and the far side 13d of the slot, the opposite sides 13c, 13d being spaced equally from the Walls 10', 1d of the channel, is such that coins having a diameter not quite equal to or appreciably less than such distance will tilt by their own weight and fall through the slot 13. Those coins having a diameter greater than such distance will be pushed on past the slot 13 and will be discharged into a suitable boxlike receptacle 14 shown in FIG. 1, after passing a resilient contact means 15 by means of which imIpu-lses can be transmitted to any suitable counting device such as the one disclosed in the aforesaid pending application Serial No. 222,149. The contact means 15 is located beyond slot 13 in the direction of coin passage along the channel so that coins which fall through the slot 13 are not counted.

The multiple coin sorting device which has been described has many advantages in being able to sort out coins with relative minor differences in diameter, and thus is extremely valuable in being able to sort coins of particular realm from coins of a different realm and which may have only minor differences in diameter. Thus, for example, the collector tubes 6 in conjunction with the coin deflectors 5 can be set up to effect a proper sort of ofiicial coins of the realm and the slots 13 appertaining to the individual channels 9 can be suitably dimensioned so as to sort out any foreign coin which is accepted by any one of the collector tubes 6 but which has a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the proper coin of the realm appertaining to that particular collector tube. If desired, a contact device (not shown) can be provided in conjunction with each slot 13 so as to actuate a signal each time a coin falls through the same thus drawing attention tothe sorting out of such a foreign or other- Ca wise faulty coin of improper diameter for that particular channel. 7

I claim:

1. In a device for efiiecting a double sort of coins according to their size,vthe combination comprising a first coin sorting means including a downwardly sloping rail on which the coins are arranged to roll down in sequence, a plurality of coin deflectors arranged in longitudinal spaced relation along and above said rail and atprogressively decreasing distances therefrom according to the respective coin values to be sorted, a tubular formed coin collector at each coin deflector position for receiving the coins deflected from said rail by the appertaining deflector, said coins dropping through said coin collectors by gravity, and a second coin sorting means located at the lower discharge end of each said coin collector, each said second vcoin sorting means being comprised of a channel having a floor along which all the coins slide, there being *an elongated gap in the floor having a width less than the diameter of the coin received by the channel, and the distance between one edge ot the channel and the far edge of the gap being at least-equal to the diameter of the proper coin value for which said channel is designed 2.. A double sorting coin device as defined in claim 1 and which includes a reciprocatable feed member correlated to each said channel to feed the coins along the channel.

3. A double sorting coin device as defined in claim 2 wherein each said reciprocat-able feed member is constituted by a plate having a bevelled leading edge engageable with the coin so as to urge the edge of the coin against said edge of said channel.

4. A double sorting coin device as defined in claim 1 and wherein said second sorting means includes means preventing passage along each said channel of coins exceeding a predetermined thickness.

5. A double sorting coin device as defined in claim 1 and wherein said second sorting means includes means preventing passage along each said channel of coins exceeding a predetermined thickness, said passage preventing means being constituted by the distance between the lower discharge end of said coin collector and the floor of the appertaining channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 585,633 6/97; Scott ns-3.4 2,204,853 6/40 Goodman 133 3 2,231,092 2/41 Seemel 133 3 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR EFFECTING A DOUBLE SORT OF COINS ACCORDING TO THEIR SIZE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A FIRST COIN SORTING MEANS INCLUDING A DOWNWARDLY SLOPING RAIL ON WHICH THE COINS ARE ARRANGED TO ROLL DOWN IN SEQUENCE, A PLURALITY OF COIN DEFLECTORS ARRANGED IN LONGITUDINAL SPACED RELATION ALONG AND ABOVE SAID RAIL AND AT PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING DISTANCES THEREFROM ACCORDING TO THE RESPECTIVE COIN VALUES TO BE SORTED, A TUBULAR FORMED COIN COLLECTOR AT EACH COIN DEFLECTOR POSITION FOR RECEIVING THE COINS DEFLECTED FROM SAID RAIL BY THE APPERTAINING DEFLECTOR, SAID COINS DROPPING THROUGH SAID COIN COLLECTORS BY GRAVITY, AND A SECOND COIN SORTING MEANS LOCATED AT THE LOWER DISCHARGE END OF EACH SAID COIN COLLECTOR, EACH SAID SECOND COIN SORTING MEANS BEING COMPRISED OF A CHANNEL HAVING A FLOOR ALONG WHICH ALL THE COINS SLIDE, THERE BEING AN ELONGATED GAP IN THE FLOOR HAVING A WIDTH LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE COIN RECEIVED BY THE CHANNEL, AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ONE EDGE OF THE CHANNEL AND THE FAR EDGE OF THE GAP BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF THE PROPER COIN VALUE FOR WHICH SAID CHANNEL IS DESIGNED WHEREBY COINS OF SAID PROPER VALUE WILL BE PASSED ALONG SAID CHANNEL TO THE DISCHARGE POINT THEREON WHEREAS OTHER "FOREIGN" COIN HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID CHANNEL EDGE AND THE FAR EDGE OF SAID GAP WILL TILT DOWNWARDLY AND PASS THROUGH SAID GAP TO ANOTHER COIN RECEIVING MEANS. 